Loom



June 7,1938. H. H. BURDETT 9 LOOM Filed Aug. 20, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. HoEA CE h. 505215771 ATTORNEY.

June 7, 1938. H. H. BURDET'II" LOOM Filed Aug. 20, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented June 7, 1938 LOOM Horace H. Burdett, Hopedale, Mass, assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application August 20, 1937, Serial No. 160,117-

1 Claim.

The present invention pertains to fly shuttle looms, and more particularly to picker checks for such looms.

Looms of the type to which my invention applies include a forwardly and rearwardly reciprocating lay having a shuttle box, a picker actuated to pick a shuttle out of the shuttle box, and picker check means for checking the picker and shuttle when the latter returns to the shuttle box. Usually, the picker is fixed to or engaged by a picker stick and the check means acts on such picker stick. In prior looms of this type, the construction is such that the picker, picker stick, and check element are stationary (except for forward movement with the lay) when the returning shuttle strikes the picker, and the shuttle cannot fully enter the shuttle box unless it possesses appreciably more kinetic energy than is necessary to set the picker, picker stick, and check element in motion.

I propose to provide a fiy shuttle loom having a reciprocating lay, shuttle box, shuttle, and picker as aforesaid, a picker check element for checking outward movement of the picker and shuttle when the latter enters the shuttle box, and means, other than the shuttle, for imparting outward motion to the picker and check element just before the picker is engaged by the boxing shuttle, whereby the shuttle is not required to possess as much kinetic energy as in the aforesaid prior construction.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention are accomplished in the construction illustrated on the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one side of a loom having the preferred embodiment of my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan View, partly in section, showing the mechanism of Fig. 1 with the lay forward; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the lay in its extreme rearward position.

The drawings show only part of a loom having my invention applied thereto, parts and mechanisms not shown being of usual construction well known in the art. It is noted, however, that the complete loom includes a pick motion and picker stick check at each side of the loom 50 and while both such picker stick checks may be constructed in accordance with my invention only one of them is shown and described.

The loom frame includes a right hand loom side I. The lay includes a lay beam 2 which extends widthwise of the loom and is reciprocated toward and from the front of the loom in the usual manner.

A shuttle box is provided at each side end of a picker stick 6.

The picker stick has a shoe 1 which rocks on a parallel 8. The picker stick rocks or moves in an inward, direction, which is toward the center of the loom to pick the shuttle out of the shuttle box 3 toward the other side of the loom. Means for imparting inward or picking movement to the picker stick and picker may include a pick arm 9 and lug strap Ill.

The parts as thus far described in detail are of usual construction and are of the present invention only in that they may cooperate with other parts, hereinafter described, to form a complete operative combination. A similar or any suitable picking motion may be provided at the other side of the loom. The shuttle 4' is picked out of the shuttle box 3 as the lay is moving rearwardly and arrives at the other side of the loom as the lay moves forwardly. In the case of a single shuttle loom, the shuttle 4 will return to the shuttle box 3 on the next succeeding forward beat of the lay, as is well known in the art.

The

checking the shuttle.

The preferred embodiment of the invention includes a novel picker check means constructed and arranged to position the picker 5 and picker stick 6 much farther inwardly of the loom, prior to the boxing of the returning shuttle, than has been the practice heretofore.

Such check means is further arranged to set the picker stick and movable parts of the check into motion in an outward direction just before the returning shuttle engages the picker.

In the said preferred embodiment, a picker stick check element II is arranged to be moved outwardly of the loom by the picker stick 6 in checking the picker stick and shuttle. To this end the element ll may comprise anarm I3 which is pivotally mounted on a stud l2 and which has a free end extending forwardly and engaging the outer side of the picker stick 6.

The

stud I2 is fixed in a bracket I 4 which is bolted to the lay and extends rearwardly therefrom. A conventional form of heel spring I (Fig. 1) is connected to the picker stick by a strap I6. The heel spring and strap comprise means for yieldingly urging the picker stick outwardly against the free end of the arm I3.

The element II is extended rearwardly beyond the stud I2 and the rearwardly extending portion is provided with an arcuate slot IT. A cam follower member I8 is pivotally supported on the stud I2 below the element II and includes a downwardly extending cam follower I9. A rod 20 is fixed in the member I8 and extends upwardly through the slot IT. A coiled compression spring 2| on the rod 20 pushes the element II downwardly into frictional engagement with the upper face of the member I8. The cam follower is thus frictionally connected with the arm I3. The frictional connection is sufficiently strong to cause the arm I3 to be moved by the cam follower but will permit the arm to move relative to the cam follower as will hereinafter appear.

The arm I3 is moved by cam means, preferably consisting of a stationary cam 22 which has a cam track in which the follower I9 runs. The cam 22 is fixed to a bracket 23 which is carried by the loom side I. The front portion 24 of the cam track extends forwardly and rearwardly of the loom while the back portion 25 thereof curves rearwardly and outwardly. Since the lay, check element II and cam follower member I8 reciprocate forwardly and rearwardly while the cam 22 remains stationary, the cam will cause the arm I3 to swing inwardly as the lay moves back, and outwardly as the lay moves forwardly.

In the embodiment shown, the arm I3 swings inwardly and outwardly each time the lay makes one complete cycle of movement, but is called upon to perform its checking function only upon alternate forward beats of the lay. Starting with the lay at its extreme forward position and with the shuttle 4 in the shuttle box 3, the lay then moves rearwardly and the picking means 9, II] operates to move the picker stick 6 inwardly when the lay is about half way back. Simultaneously with the inward movement of the picker stick, and as the lay continues its rearward movement, cam 22 moves the cam follower I9 out wardly, thereby swinging the arm I3 inwardly with the picker stick. Then, as the lay moves forwardly the arm I3 will move outwardly and the spring means I5, I6 causes the picker stick to follow the arm, the shuttle being at the other side of the loom.

When the lay next moves rearwardly the shuttle 4 will still be absent from the shuttle box 3 and the picking means 9, II) will not operate. The cam 22 will, however, swing the arm I3 inwardly, and the latter will move the picker stick, as the lay moves rearwardly. This places the arm and picker stick substantially at their innermost positions. The shuttle 4 is then due to return to the shuttle box 3 shortly after the lay starts its next forward movement. At the beginning of such forward movement of the lay the cam 22 imparts outward motion to the arm I3, and the spring means I5, I6 causes the picker stick to move outwardly with the arm. Thus, the picker 5, picker stick 6, and arm I3 are set in motion in an outward direction just prior to or in advance of the time when the returning shuttle engages the picker 5. The initial speed of these parts is preferably equal to or slightly less than the speed of the returning shuttle, and is thereafter reduced, to check the picker stick and shuttle.

The setting of the picker stick 6 and picker stick check arm I3 in motion in an outward direction prior to the time of engagement of the returning shuttle with the picker relieves the shuttle of the burden of setting these parts in motion. The results are a more uniform and reliable checking of the shuttle and picker stick, a reduction in the possibility of bang-off due to a weak pick, and some saving in the power required to pick the shuttle across the loom and into the shuttle box.

It may happen that, because of improper setting of the pick motion or for other reasons, the shuttle will enter the shuttle box at much greater velocity than the velocity of the outward movement of the picker permitted by the cam 22. In this case, the frictional connection between the cam follower member I8 and the arm I3 will yield, to permit the picker stick 6 and arm I3 to be moved by the picker stick independently of the cam follower. Outward movement of the arm I3 is limited by a stop 26 which is formed integrally with the bracket l4 and projects downwardly beside the rearward extension on the arm as shown more clearly on Fig. 3. After the arm I3 has been moved outwardly to the position determined by the stop 26, but on the same forward beat of the lay, the cam 22 will continue to swing the cam follower I9 inwardly, thereby restoring proper angular relation between the cam follower member I3 and the arm. An adjusting screw 21 carried by the member I8 engages the rearward extension on check element II to adjust the check element relative to the cam 22. I

Having fully disclosed the preferred embodiment of my invention, I claim:

In a fly shuttle loom, a forwardly and rearwardly reciprocating lay, a picker stick, means imparting inward picking movement to said picker stick as the lay moves rearwardly, a picker stick check comprising a pivoted arm having a free end engaging the outer side of said picker stick, a cam follower, means frictionally connecting said arm with said cam follower, and cam means engaging said cam follower for swinging said arm inwardly as the lay moves back and outwardly as the lay moves forwardly, said frictional connection yielding to permit said arm to be moved outwardly by said picker stick.

HORACE H. BURDETT. 

